Screw-down indicating apparatus



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SCREW-DOWN INDICATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS few ,1m/@TMW 55,

//@ ATTORNEYS.

April 7, 1935.

R. H. ELLIS El' AL SCREW-DOWN INDICATING APPARATUS Filed 0G13. 4, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllll 6? gi .55 .56 ,55 l fa 7? l 6 mvENToRs/w/czzwx/MM@ 13m/fwn, MQLJM QJ/f, ATTORNEYS.

Apr. 7, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT oFFicE SCREW-DOWN INDICATING APPARATUSPennsylvania Application October 4,

10 Claims.

This invention relates torolling mills and more particularly to a systemand apparatus for indicating to the operator of a rolling mill thesetting of the working rolls which determine the dimensions of the rollpass.

It has been the customary `practice in the past to pro-vide rollingmills and especially mills of the variable pass type to which thisinvention has its broadest application with large clock-faced rollsetting indicators which are mounted on the tops of the roll housingswith their pointers connected to the roll-adjusting screws of the milland their dials calibrated to indicate the roll adjustments. While suchindicators may be satisfactory on blooming mills, slabbing mills or thelike where the stock being rolled is several inches thick,

- they are not satisfactory for indicating the setting of the rolls onthe modern strip mill where the thickness of the stock being rolled mustbe measured in thousandths of an inch. When operating the latter it isdesirable for the operator of the mill to be able to keep his eyes onthe material being rolled when he is operating the mill and particularlywhen he is adjusting the mill pass. This he can not do when these oldtype indicators are used, as he has to raise his eyes from the stock tothe top of the mill in order to see the indicator.

Another objectionable feature of such indicators is that they can not belocated at a point remote from the mill where it is frequently desirableto position the mill controls or to have such information available forother purposes. Furthermore, they are diicult and awkward to adjust whenthe mill is iirst started or when new rolls are placed in the mill, atwhich time it is necessary to give them an original setting.

In accordance with modern practice, rolling mills are usually controlledby electrical means in the form of various control devices which areusually mounted in a control panel located at a point removed from themill and so positioned that the operator can supervise the operation ofthe mill without removing his eyes from the mill pass which is highlydesirable. In keeping with this practice it is highly desirable to haveindicators for indicating the roll settings of the mill to the operatorwhich may be mounted in the control panel of the mill along with thevarious control devices used for controlling the mill and which may bereadily and easily adjusted by the operator without any materialalterations to effect its original or starting setting.

With the foregoing in mind it is an object of this invention to providea system of apparatus 1933, Serial No. 692,213

for indicating the setting of the rolls in a rolling mill which includesan indicating unit adapted to be positioned in any desired place eitheradjacent to or remote from the mill such as in the control panel for themill, and which is simple and sturdy of construction as well as accuratein operation and easy and convenient to adjust to provide any originalsetting required.

Another object is to provide an indicator of this character on which thereadings of the roll settings at both ends of the mill may be accuratelyread at a single glance and which, because of various conditions such asa difference in temperature of the roll necks, a difference in stretchof the roll housings, and a non-uniform shape of the material enteringthe mill, may be different, and the simultaneous reading of which may behighly desirable.

These and various other objects, as Well as the various other novelfeatures and advantages of the invention will be apparent when thefollowing detailed description is read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a schematic diagramillustrating one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 1a, an end view ofthe mill schematically shown in plan in Fig. 1; Fig. 2 a plan View of anindicating unit such as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a composite sectionalview taken on the lines III--III and IIT-III- III'III-III-III-III ofFig. 2, the rStf mentioned portion of the section extending through theleft-hand adjusting element and the lower section of the indicatorhousing, and the latter through the portion of the indicator mounted ontop of the lower housing section; Fig. 4 a section taken on the lineIV-IV of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 a plan View of a modification of theinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawings and first to the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the numerals I and 2,Fig. 1, designate the roll-adjusting screws of a rolling mill and thenumerals 3 and d a pair of screwdown motors arranged in a conventionalmanner for actuating these screws. As illustrated such motors areconnected to a pair of aligned shafts 5 and E which are releasablyconnected together by a suitable clutch 'I which permits the screws land 2 to be operated either jointly or individually. On these motorshafts 5 and 6 there is keyed a pair of worms 9 and II arranged to meshwith a pair of cooperating Worm Wheels I2 and I3 keyed to a pair ofconnecting shafts I l and. I5. These latter shafts are in turn equippedwith a pair of worms I6 and I1 which CTI are arranged to mesh with apair of worm wheels I8 and I9 splinedly mounted on the mill screws I and2.

For producing electrical reaction corresponding to the vertical movementof the mill rolls when the screws I and 2 are turned by the screw-downmotors 3 and 4 a pair of electrical devices in the nature of synchronousgenerators 2I and 22 and known to the trade as selsyns is connected.This connection is effected by a pair of pinions 23 and 24 mounted onthe drive shafts of such devices and a pair of gears 25 and 26 connectedto the screw shafts I4 and I5 with which the pinions are meshed.

These generators which are also referred to frequently as transmittersare electrically connected by suitable conductors 21 and 28 to a pair ofcooperating synchronous motors or receivers 29 and 3| which may belocated at any desired point such as beneath the control panel for themill and are connected to operate suitable rollsetting indicators whichwill be presently described. The gearing connections for thetransmitters 2I and 22 are so designed as to provide them with amovement relative to the screws I and 2 which may be conveniently andreadily indicated by the indicating elements. Synchronous generators andmotors or transmitters and receivers of this character which are capableof accurately communicating the mechanical movement of one to the otherare so Well known in the art that a detailed description andillustration of them is deemed unnecessary.

In the present embodiment of the invention the indicating elementsreferred to above are both incorporated, as clearly illustrated in Figs.2, 3 and 4, in a single unit which is adapted to be conveniently mountedin a control panel and to so display such elements as to render themeasily readable at a single glance.

Referring to these figures, this unit comprises a housing formed by alower rectangular boxshaped section 32 and an upper round dishshapedstructure 33, which is the larger of the two and secured to the formerby suitable bolts 34. In the center of the housings formed by these twosections there is arranged a pair of telescoping shafts 35 and 36. Theinner of these is mounted at its lower end in a suitable bearing 3'Ilocated in the base of the lower housing section 32 and its upper endprojects above the bottom of the upper housing section 33. The outer oneis mounted in a suitable bearing 38 supported in the base of the upperhousing section 33 with its lower end disposed above the base of thelower housing section 32 an-d its upper end projected above the bottomof the upper housing section but below the upper end of the inner shaft35.

On the lower ends of such shafts 35 and 36 there is keyed a pair of wormwheels 39 and 4I which are meshed on the opposite sides of thetelescoping shafts with a pair of worms 42 and 43, respectively, mountedon a pair of horizontally disposed shafts eli and 55. These lattershafts are mounted in suitable bearings in the sides of the lowerhousing section 32 with their ends projecting beyond the outer walls ofsuch housing. To one end of the lower shaft 44 the synchronous motor 3iis connected by a suitable coupling 4l while the opposite end of theupper shaft 45 is similarly connected by a suitable coupling 48 to thesynchronous motor 29.

Consequently, through this arrangement the two shafts 35 and 33 areactuated in direct proportion to the movement of the mill screws whenthe screw--down motors are operated. To provide for indicating suchmovement a pair of pointers 49 and 5I is mounted on the upper ends ofshafts 35 and 36 to rotate over the face of a calibrated dial 52 mountedin the upper housing section 33 in spaced relation with the lower Wallthereof, being spaced from such wall by a spacer member 53 and securedthereto by a series of bolts 54. Over the top of this -dial there ismounted a transparent covering 55 which is held in place by aring-shaped frame 55 mounted on a ange 51 provided about the top of thedishshaped housing section 33. Such flange is also employed for securingthe indicator in the control panel 58.

In order that the pointers 49 and 5I may be readily adjusted to placethem in their proper position when the mill is set in operation theshafts 45 and 45 to which the synchronous motors are connected areprojected beyond the opposite sides of the roll housing section 32 towhich the motors 29 and 3|, respectively, are connected and equippedwith a pair of miter gears 59 and 6I. For engaging these a pair of mitergears 66 and BI is mounted on a pair of vertically aligned shafts 62 and63 secured in suitable brackets 64 and 65 attached to the housingsection 33, their upper ends being projected through suitable openingsabove the top of the unit and equipped with turning wheels 50 and 60. Tonormally hold these latter gears out of engagement with the miter gears59 and 9| coil springs 68 and 69 are mounted under compression on theshafts 62 and 63 with their lower ends bearing against a pair of collarsII and 'I2 held in the brackets Bil and 65 and their upper ends bearingagainst a pair of collars 'I3 and 'I4 keyed to the shafts 62 and 63.With such an arrangement when it is desired to adjust the pointers 49and 5I the wheels 50 and 6I! and the shafts 62 and 63 are merely forceddownwardly against the pressure of the springs 58 and 69 until the mitergears 65 and 61 engage the miter gears 59 and 6I and the wheels 59 and69 then turn until the desired setting is obtained.

As will be readily appreciated the dial 52 may be calibrated in anysuitable fashion determined by the relative movement imparted to thepointers by the mill screws. For example, when used with a cold stripmill, drives for the pointers are preferably provided which permit thedial to be calibrated in thousandths of an inch and so that one completeturn of each counter represents a displacement of the roll settingsequal to one-tenth of an inch.

To provide for indicating to the operator the number of revolutionswhich the pointers are revolved when the rolls are adjusted for a passexceeding one-tenth of an inch a pair of suitable counters 'I5 and 'I5of well-known construction may be mounted on the -50 diameter of thedial and provided with tripping triggers 'VI and 'I8 disposed to beengaged respectively by the pointers 49 and 5I as such pointers arerotated. To prevent the lower pointer I from striking the trigger 'I'Iof the upper counter, it may be made sufciently shorter than the upperpointer 59 so that it will miss the upper counter trigger TI as it isrotated. Counters of this character capable of operating in eitherdirection are so well known in the art that a detailed description ofthem is deemed unnecessary, and obviously they may be designed tooperate in either direction and to record the readings which they makein terms maintain it forall settings.

of inches and/or fractions thereof as may be desired.

In the operation of the invention the mill is rst adjusted to producethe thickness of material desired, and the pointers 49 and 5l on theindicator are then adjusted by the screws 50 and GEI to accuratelydesignate the dimension of the pass. Thereafter, if the operator desiresto change the mill pass he may do so, and obtain an accurate setting, bywatching the movement of the pointers 49 and 5I as he controls theoperation of the screw-down motors. Through the use of the twoconcentrically mounted pointers he can with ease either operate thescrew-down motors individually by disengaging the clutch 1 connectingsuch motors together or operate both of them simultaneously.

If for any reason it becomes necessary to adjust one end of the millrolls somewhat differently than the other in order to produce a uniformpiece of material, as it frequently does especially in case the oppositeends of the rolls are heated to different temperatures, or the stretchof the roll housings is slightly different, or the material entering themill is not uniform, such difference in adjustment will be set up by thepointers, and as such discrepancies will very probably be the same forall sizes of passes, the operator after once having determined what itis, can readily Thus the problem of adjusting the rolls is materiallysimplified, as the two pointers which are concentrically mounted may bealways maintained in the same relaltive position when adjusted.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Fig, 5, in place ofa rotatable pointer and dial type of indicator a pair of counters 8l and82 is used, the operating shafts 83 and 84 thereof being connectedthrough suitable clutches 85 and 86 to the drive shafts of thesynchronous motors 29 and 3 I, such clutches being preferably adapted topermit the counters to be adjusted by hand when desired to correct themfor original settings. In operation this latter embodiment of theinvention is similar to that previously described, and for conveniencein observation the counters are mounted one above the other so that theymay be also read at a single glance by the operator.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explainedthe principle and mode of operation of our invention and haveillustrated and described what we now consider to represent its bestembodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within thescope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwisethan as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

l. In combination with a rolling mill, means for adjusting the two endsof a roll thereof to thereby selectively vary the size of the roll pass,a synchronous generator connected to said roll adjusting means at eachend of the mill, means included in each of said connections formultiplying the movement imparted to said generator as compared to thatimparted to said roll, a pair of synchronous motors located remotelywith respect to said roll adjusting means and electrically connected tosaid generators, and means operatively connected to each of said motorsfor indicating respectively the roll adjustment at each end of the mill,said latter means being located in juxtaposition.

2. In combination with a rolling mill, means im Q for individuallyadjusting the spacing between the two ends of the mill rolls to vary thesize of the roll pass, a synchronous generator coupled to each of saidroll-adjusting means, a pair of synchronous motors remotely located withrespect to said roll-adjusting means and electrically connected to saidgenerators, a pair of independently operable shafts mounted one withinthe other and separately connected to said motors, a pointer mounted oneach of said shaftsfngndxa gal 10 arrabngegbehinwdmsdhpointerscalibratedinterms of tligroll settings wherebytliIsettings of the rollsat both ends of the mill are separately indicated by the positions ofsaid pointers.

3. In combination with a rolling mill, means at the opposite ends of themill for adjusting the spacing between the mill rolls to vary the sizeof the roll pass, a synchronous generator connected for rotation by eachof said roll-adjusting means, a pair of synchronous motors locatedremotely with respect to the roll-adjusting means, and electricallyconnected to said generators, means calibrated in terms of the rollsettings operably connected to each of said motors for indicating theroll settings and mounted adjacent each other for simultaneous reading,and means for adjusting said indicators independently of theroll-adjusting means.

4. In combination with a rolling mill, means for individually adjustingthe ends of one of the mill rolls to vary the size of the roll pass, asynchronous generator coupled to each of said adjusting means foroperation thereby, a pail` of synchronous motors remotely located withrespect to said roll-adjusting means and electrically connected to saidgenerators, a pair of indicators adjustable with respect to each otherand coupled to said motors in conjoint relation and adapted whenoperated thereby to indicate the settings of the mill rolls, and meansoperative without respect to the roll-adjusting means for varying thesettings of said indicators.

5. In combination with a rolling mill, a rollsetting indicatorcomprising a housing, a pair of telescopically arranged shafts mountedin said housing, a pair of pointers mounted at one end of said shafts, acommon dial calibrated in terms of the roll settings of the mill mountedadjacent said pointers, a pair of gear Wheels mounted on said shafts, apair of pinions meshed with said Wheels mounted on drive shafts extendedthrough said housing, a pair of synchronous motors coupled to saidlatter shafts, means for adjusting the two ends of the rolls of the millto vary the roll pass, a pair of synchronous generators coupled to saidroll-adjusting means for operation thereby, and means electricallyconnecting said motors to be synchronously operated by said generators.

6. In combination with a rolling mill, a rollsetting indicatorcomprising a housing, a pair of telescopically arranged shafts mountedin said housing, a pair of pointers mounted at one end of said shafts, acommon dial calibrated in terms of the roll settings of the mill mountedadjacent said pointers, a pair of gear wheels mounted on said shafts, apair of pinions meshed with said wheels mounted on drive shafts extendedthrough said housing, a pair of synchronous motors coupled to saidlatter shafts, means for adjusting the two ends of the rolls of the millto vary the roll pass, a pair of synchronous generators coupled to saidroll-adjusting means for operation thereby, means electricallyconnecting said motors to be synchronously operated by said generators,and means resiliently supported on said housing for releasably engagingsaid shafts and adjusting said pointers.

'7. In combination with a rolling mill, a rollsetting indicatorcomprising a housing, a pair of telescopically arranged shafts mountedin said housing, a pair of pointers mounted at one end of said shafts, acommon dial calibrated in terms of the roll settings of the mill mountedadjacent said pointers, -a counter unit mounted in said dial with meansprovided thereon disposed to be actuated by one of said pointers as thelatter is rotated therepast, a pair of gear wheels mounted on saidshafts, a pair of pinions meshed with said wheels mounted on driveshafts eX- tended through said housing, a pair of synchronous motorscoupled to said latter shafts, means for adjusting the two ends of therolls of the mill to vary the roll pass, a pair of synchronousgenerators coupled to said roll-adjusting means for operation thereby,and means electrically connecting said motors to be synchronouslyoperated by said generators.

8. A roll-setting indicator for use in indicating the setting of therolls in a rolling mill comprising, a housing, a pair of shafts mountedone within the other in s-aid housing, the lower end of one shaft beingsupported in a wall provided in the base of said housing, the upper endof the other being supported in a Wall provided in the upper portion ofthe housing, a pair of pointers mounted on the upper ends of saidshafts, a calibrated dial disposed below said pointers, a pair of wormwheels mounted on the lower ends of said shafts, a pair of worms meshedwith said wheels mounted on a second pair of shafts disposed at rightangles to the first-mentioned shafts With their ends supported in butprojected through the sides of said housing, a driving connection at oneend of each of said last-mentioned shafts, and means for releasablyengaging the other ends of said shafts to adjust said pointers mountedon the sides of said housing. 9. In combination with a rolling mill,means for adjusting the ends of one of the working rolls to vary thesize of the roll pass, a pair of electroresponsive indicating elementslocated at a common point remote from said roll-adjusting means forindicating the roll setting at the two ends of the mill, andelectro-operative means coupled to said roll-adjusting means andelectrically connected to said indicating means for operating thelatter.

10. In combination With a rolling mill, means at the opposite ends ofthe mill for adjusting the spacing between the mill rolls to Vary thesize of the roll pass, an electro-synchronous trans-/Hiieggppertawtiylcyectedt'ach of said roll adjusting means Qagemotelylocated electro-synn) ,ghrrclnous receiver `electrir'zally connectedtoeach of said transmitters andacounter typgmindiwrcat'nfor" indicatingthe rolfm'djteits connected to each of said receivers, said indicatorsbeing -arranged in readable juxtaposition.

ROBERT H. ELLIS. HOWARD N. FRY.

